After the slow combat last session, we completed a whole two encounters this week!

Excavation SiteThe party decide to follow the doorway to the east. Shortly after some descending stairs they come to a junction, a route to the south slopes downwards into dark caves, while the path ahead opens into a large excavation site and the sound of goblins in heated debate. Intent on advancing towards the goblins, Alykacha takes cover near the dark cave. Only to be attack by a giant rat, that darts down a stalactite and bites at her head.

Alerted to the noise, the goblins drop their argument and head towards the adventurers, sending their Guard Drakes before them. Without lights the other members of the party are blind. So they stand ready to defend against the goblins, while Alykacha and Happy Angel fight off the monsterous rodents in the dark.

The Guard Drakes rush to meet the intruders and block them in the corridor. Which provides their Goblin masters an excellent opportunity to unload their Alchemist's Fire to maximum advantage. Once thrown, these fragile flasks break on impact, unleashing alchemical flame and hitting multiple targets in the narrow confines of the corridor. The drakes prove to be fearsome opponents but the first one drops as the second and third attack. Pontuus, Haagan and Moonscale kill another drake, while Alykacha and Happy Angel, now free from the rats, use their acrobatics or Fey magic to join the attack on the Goblins. Haagan needs to cast Healing Word on both Pontuus and Happy Angel before the battle is through, but it is not long before all the goblins and drakes are defeated.

Searching the goblins and the excavation site, the party recover 22gp and 5 flasks of alchemist's fire. One of the goblins was also carrying a holy symbol of Bahamut, probably recently recovered from the dig.

XPGuard Drakes: 3x125=375Goblin Bombardiers: 3x125=375

Stalactites and StalagmitesPontuus ignites a sunrod and the party decend into the caves. The rocky ground and stalagmites make for difficult movement and provide excellent cover for the giant rats that make a home here. They dart out of the shadows or drop from the ceiling, occasionally succeeding in bitting one of the group, but in truth they are little more than a nuisance. To the south east, a deadlier enemy starts pulsing its way towards the party as round the corner an Ochre Jelly moves into the light.

Haagan and Pontuus meet the Jelly head on. Fortunately they avoid the worst of the burning effects from the creature's acid fluids, while pummelling it was all manner of ranged attacks. Eventually Pontuus manages to hew it in two with a strike from his polearm, only for the two halves to continue to fight on. Fire, ice, lightning, arrows, spears and raw magic force are thrown at the twin jellies and eventually they can hold their form no longer, dissipating into inert sludge.

Searching the caves Haagan discovers a false wall disguised to look like natural rock. Behind the secret door they discover someone's stash of emergency provisions? A bedroll, two days trail rations, two sunrods and two full waterskins, one of water, the other of ale.

Over to the west Happy Angel locates a bronze door green with age. Scratched onto the surface in the Common, read the words "Stay Out. Really."

I love reading these posts. They bring me back to the "good 'ol days."

One of the things about D&D is that are so many resources for little pieces of junk that one might find. With Hero, I am often far too overwhelmed with making all the monsters and encounters that I often forget that it is the little things that make a game. Finding a holy symbol to Bahamut in a goblin's possession is one of those quirky events that creates a memorable game.

Well if you ever feel like running a bit of D&D4e, let me know and I'll email you the campaign. Maybe we can get your daughter to forget her previous experience

nolgroth wrote:

One of the things about D&D is that are so many resources for little pieces of junk that one might find. With Hero, I am often far too overwhelmed with making all the monsters and encounters that I often forget that it is the little things that make a game. Finding a holy symbol to Bahamut in a goblin's possession is one of those quirky events that creates a memorable game.

Can't claim any credit for that, its all part of the scenario. In fact I have been very impressed with the quality of H1. So the fact they give it away (in PDF format) for free is a great bonus for a Maptool user. I'd pay extra to have their other scenarios in PDF format. I guess they don't do that because of IP Pirates. Dang pirates *waves fist* This is why we can't have nice things

I wonder if they lost more to piracy than they did to the revocation of PDF sales. I actually bought the hard copy of H1 and H2. I would have bought into the entire 4E line, but the decision to abandon PDFs seriously made me angry. At the time, that was my primary purchase method. Well still is, but I have bought a few dead tree books (namely some Essentials titles and the Pathfinder Beginner Box) once the fires of rage cooled down to embers. Took a few years though.

Now it is too late and too many books are on the shelves for me to even dream of going back and buying them all. I am going to be content with rounding out my Essentials line and maybe sitting down to run through a module or two.

With D&DNext in development there won't be any more 4e books. So rounding out your collection will be entirely possible, even for a "completest."

nolgroth wrote:

and maybe sitting down to run through a module or two.

If one of those modules includes H1, send me a PM and you can have my campaign files. Rumble's Slim framework is also worth playing with, it doesn't do total automation but I like getting the players to inflict the damage to their own characters

I made a bit of a slip GMing this encounter, in that I had the monster token on the Hidden Layer rather than flagged as invisible to players. This meant that when I did its Initiative the players where able to see the monster was a Blue Slime before I was ready to make the reveal. Oh well, lesson learnt

Blue SlimeThe team find themselves standing outside an uninviting bronze door that is covered in think layers of fungus and mold. Elves are particular about their ears, Drow no exception, so they decide against listening to the door and instead open it and walk right in. Down a short flight of steps they proceed to a small cave filled with a pool of stagnant water. Rising out of the centre of the pool, sits a small island, and on the island (looking to all the world like bait) sits a small pile of treasure!

Ignoring the onimous ripples in the water, Alykacha runs, flips and lands on the island. Almost immediately after, an eruption of slime and gas bursts from the waters depths, causing everyone to choke and gag. Happy Angel spots a creature lurking in the depths. She fails to hit it with her eldritch bolt, but enables the rest of the team to strike at the creature. Rising to the surface, the blue slime whips out at the adventurers, striking two at a time, with acidic burning appendages.

Moonscale uses his freezing burst to position the monster between Alykacha on the island, and the rest of the party on the shore. They use this positional advantage to maximise their chance of strike the slime. Eventually it colapses and sinks beneath the waves, but not before letting out one last eruption of poisonous gas.

As the last signs of the sink away from sight, Pontuus finally wakes from his gas enduced daze and the party investiagte the treasures on the island. they retrieve gold and silver, a magical shield and messages between Kalarel and the Bloodreaver slavers.

XPBlue Slime: 750

Just finished watching Doctor Who, which is why this is called Lair of the Kruthik, instead of The Krithik Lair In comparison with the previous encounter I ran the initiative better. There was only one counter for each type of Kruthik, so the players were surprised by the numbers and made slight tactic errors because they guessed wrongly about the numbers.

Lair of the KruthikEven though they are tired and exhausted the adventures continue deeper into the cavern complex. Trusting her Drow dark vision, Happy Angel creeps souhtwards, hoping to surprise anything that might be waiting. But her eyesight betrays her, she misses the warning signs for the trap and the floor gives way beneath her feet and she falls into a deep pit.

The rest of the party move up quicky, brnging lights and rope. But as Happy Angel climbs out of the pit, strange and vicious beetle-like creatures advance out of tunnels to attack them. Vaguely reptilian, but with insect like claws and serrated mandibles, they have bodies covered with tough chitinous plates. The smallest is the size of a dog while the largest (the mother?) is the size of a man.

Pontuus uses his longspear to striking deep into their tunnels and keep them at bay. Soon Happy Angel wishes she could so the same, as flanked by multiple Kruthik, she discovers they have hidden claws that snap and cut at anyone that stays close. Alykacha and Moonscale shoot the smaller creatures as the flow out of their tunnels, while Haagan, Happy Angel and Pontus engage the larger ones in melee.

The adult Kruthik advances on the intruders, first clawing and bitting at Happy Angel, then firing toxic barbs at multiple targets. But as its children are killed off, the adventurers close in on the creature and it dies under a wave of attacks.

In the corner of the lair, they discover a party eaten goblin and the treasure it was carrying. Including gold, gems and healing potions.

I ran the initiatives for this session with the NPCs hidden. Seemed to work fine.

Torture ChamberSlimes and reptiles defeated the party are exhausted, so much so that even with the aid of the priest, some members of the party are unable to recover from their injuries. They debate whether to head back to Winterhaven with its friendly inn, or risk holing up in some defendable corner of the caves. In the end "holing up" wins and they head back to the secret room with the hidden door. The two Drow, who only need 4 hours rest, take it in turns to stand guard while the rest of the party take an 8 hour nap.

Fully recovered, the team head back to the entrance and the unexplored routes south and west, and head west. The corridor turns northwards and opens into a small room with doors on three sides. Happy Angel listens to the door ahead of them and can clearly hear the sound of goblins laughing. With the party ready behind her, she flings open the door and charges at a the first creature she sees. Around her, three other similarly armoured goblins, a goblin warrior and a Hobgoblin in the uniform or a toturer, stop their laughter and reach for weapons. The room she finds herself in is also dressed for torture: a rack, a cage, an iron maiden, knives and hot pokers resting in a fire. It disturbs uncomfortable memories for the Drow Hexblade and she attacks the goblin with her full might.

The rest of the partry charge in behind. Pontuus and Alykacha make for the middle of the room while Haagan and Moonscale tackle the warrior poised by the entrance. The first goblin falls and Happy Angel teleports to the side of the Torturer. Alykacha drops her Cloud of Darkness, isolating a goblin sharpshooter in the blackness and dividing the group into two. More goblins fall. The Torturer stabs at Happy Angel with a poker, setting her clothes on fire, she runs to a corner and beats out the flames.

Haagan downs the warrior at the entrance while Moonscale burns multiple foes with his spells. A goblin sharpshooter, seeing how the combat is going, retreats to a cage, firing bolts at the party from "relative" safety. Surrounded by Pontuus, Alykacha and Happy Angel, the Hobgoblin is quickly killed and at his death Happy Angel teleports into the locked cage, with the final sharpshooter. Easily within range of spell, spear and Drow, the last goblin doesn't last long.

Searching the chamber the adventurers find 50 sp. The Hobgolblin is carrying 55gp and is wearing magical Bloodcut Hide armour, which Pontuus has to quickly retrieve before an angry Happy Angel starts dumping the body in the fire. To the west they find a snivelling goblin, locked up a cage. Before the rest of the party can either interogate or kill it, Happy Angel releases it and drives it out of the dungeon.

Balgron the FatSouth and east from the torture chamber, a long corridor takes the adventurers to a couple of goblin guards playing cards. Weapons are drawn and goblins and adventurers fight. As the first guard dies, curtains on the eastern wall are ripped down and hordes of scrawny knief-wielding goblins swarm into the room. Followed by a number of tougher guards, they rush at the party.

The goblins charge forward and Happy Angel at one end of the room and Moonscale at the other, open up with blasts of hellfire, acid and arcane force and eight goblins are obliterated. As Happy Angel teleports to guards driving the scrawny goblins onwards, more guards round the corner. They are accompanied by fat but powerful looking goblin, armed with a crossbow and flail, who must surely be their leader.

Surrounded by goblins, things are not looking promising for Happy Angel. But to the south Pontuus and Alykacha down the last of their goblins, freeing Haagan to charge to the rescue, casting a healing word on the beseiged Drow. The other members of the party join the frey and soon it is the Fat goblin who is surrounded. He looks like he might try to plead for his life but he never gets the chance.

To the east they discover the fat goblin's room. Keys from his belt open a small wooden chest containing 560gp and a plain magic wand.

Return to WinterhavenTo the south of the dungeon entrance, the party gather before the one door left unopened. A large ominous looking stone door, it radiates a chill air. Running low on provisions, the group decide to head back to Winterhaven to restock before they take on the next section.

As they approach the town they notice the surrounding fields are empty and the gates are closed. The parapets on top of the walls are lined with guards. they recognise Lord Padraig amongst the men. He shouts to the adventurers, "We are in peril. Villagers have disappeared, and the dead are rising in the cemetery!" He orders the guards to let them in and the gates are opened long enough for them to enter Winterhaven, which they find crowded with people from the outlying farms.

I'm really enjoying the game, and the use of MapTools defintiely adds another dimension to the play, both visually and tactically. Wait. That's two dimensions. I like the way it enforces rules 'in the background' - there is a lot going on but the players just have to make 'in-game' choices, not rules based ones. Well, not so much.

I won't be giving up face to face gaming any time soon, but it does mean that I can play a lot more often than otherwise would be possible.

CemeteryLord Padraig is very happy to see the party return to Winterhaven and informs them of the town's current nightmare. It appears that a number of villagers have disappeared, and the dead in the cemetery have risen. He has ordered the town gates shut and the guards to the walls. Will the adventurers help Winterhaven once more? Without even thinking of payment, they agree and after a rest to marshal their resources they head out for the cemetery.

A brief trek through a small grove leads to the wrought iron bars that mark the boundary of the cemetery. Three mausoleums and a couple of sickly looking trees, stand within a field of headstones. Near the largest of the structures, a faint glow of forbidden magics add a pallid light to the surroundings.

Slowly the five adventurers advance into the cemetery. In the distance they see two dog-shaped abominations standing guard in the doorway of a mausoleum. Pontuus prepares an attack while Alykacha and Happy Angel fire a volley of attacks. The gravehounds charge rapidly towards the living intruders and Pontuus charges to meet them.

As the first exchange of blows is met, the door of a nearby mausoleum bursts open and out charges another gravehound, followed by Ninaran, a disagreeable elf the party previously encountered in Winterhaven. The new gravehound springs at Happy Angel, biting and flinging her to the floor, while Ninaran rushes across the battlefield, firing arrows at the party as she goes.

The patchwork dogs prove to be tough creations and it takes the concentrated attacks of the party to bring down the first. The second bites Haagan and drags him to the ground but he smashes it back with his Warhammer, bringing down his righteous fury on the abomination, driving it back and leaving it immobilised. Moonscale races after the spy Ninaran, blasting her and the gravehound with arcs of lightning. Alykacha takes her chance, flips through the combat and delivers a destroying blow to the vulnerable gravehound.

As Ninaran reaches cover, dead burst from recently disturbed soil, surrounding the party! Skeletons strike at Happy Angel, Pontuus, Moonscale and Haagan. For a moment things look bleak, but with blasts of ice and arcane force Moonscale obliterates most of the advancing hordes. Haagan brings down his hammer on the last of the hounds, smashing it to pieces, while Alykacha races after Ninaran to cut off her escape.

While Alykacha and Happy Angel circle Ninaran, Moonscale inspects the pulsing magic circle. Lines of black magic have been soaked into the ground with innocent blood. It is clear that this is the source of the wandering undead. Moonscale begins the task of dismantling the spell and with assistance from Haagan, brings it crashing down, just as Alykacha and Happy Angel do the same to Ninaran.

XPGravehounds:3x150=450Skeletons:12x25=300Ninaran:175Total: 925

I was quite pleased with this map. Sometimes the simple ones take the most time, and I redid it once or twice. It was also the first time I felt the need to turn to Gimp to produce my own objects, and I created by own tombstones.

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